Buying nine used cargo ships is a first step toward the much needed modernization of Military Sealift Command’s fleet, but the sealift enterprise requires the revitalization of American shipbuilding and yard maintenance to experience long-term benefits, the top general leading U.S. Transportation Command said Wednesday. MSC “ships are 46 years old. We have to keep 60- to 70-year-old engineers to keep them running” because the ships are steam-powered, Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost said in an online Center for Strategic and International Studies forum. She added that the idea of buying used cargo ships is 30 years old and … Continue reading TRANSCOM Commander: American Shipyards Need Revitalization to Help Modernize Military Sealift Command